Aquarius
by katale
Summary: Submission for LaLu Week 2016 - Day 1: The person who stayed


**So, this is my submission for LaLu Week, Day 1. Hope you like it :)**

 **This is my first time doing a Couple Ship Week so please go easy on me.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters in this story.**

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LaLu Week - Day 1 - Aquarius

The thoughts running through the blonde's head were far from happy, the usual optimistic and bright girl Fairy Tail once knew was gone. Not that anyone would have actually realised though, with her fake smiles, forced laughter and slightly dulled expression. The only problem was that even with the walls Lucy had put up to keep people out, there wasn't anyone _to_ keep out.

Normally, Natsu would have been there to make her happy, make her laugh and smile, while annoying her at the same time. He would have given her a sense of safety, without even knowing it. Gray would have been there to make her shout at him to put on some clothes, to be there as her brotherly figure and be protective over her. Erza should have been there to threaten anyone who would hurt the woman she saw as a little sister and to stop Gray and Natsu from fighting. Hell, even Happy would have been there to tease her, call her fat, and roll his tongue saying "You liiiike~ him".

They weren't though, none of them were. Both Natsu and Happy had disappeared without so much as a goodbye, leaving behind only a note for her. Gray and Erza had both left, one after the other, when the Master announced the disbandment of the guild. At least they had the decency to tell Lucy in person, unlike the person who was supposed to be her best friend.

Since then however, she had been alone. The rest of the guild slowly dispersed, some leaving to go train, some deciding to visit family, others making the choice to join another guild, while a few like Lucy were lost, not having anywhere to go and just… drifting.

All the members of Fairy Tail had lost something during the fight with Tartaros, whether it was a friend, a parent or even a possession. For Lucy and the first generation Dragon Slayers, it was just unfortunate that the thing they lost was a loved one. The difference between the Dragon Slayers and Lucy was that each Slayer had someone to share their problems with, be it a person or Exceed, Lucy did not.

Alright, so she had the rest of her spirits, but lately she had been avoiding any contact she could with any of the Celestial beings. For one, she didn't like it when they would see her like this, upset and practically a shell of her past self. The other reason, while she didn't like it, was selfish. Lucy hadn't liked seeing any spirit other than Plue (since she just couldn't resist him) because she felt that if she did, she wouldn't be able to take it, the reminder that she would never see Aquarius, the woman/mermaid spirit that she had known the longest.

Almost constantly, there was a fake smile plastered on her face, to reassure anyone around her that there was nothing wrong, that she was perfectly fine, that it wasn't like she had recently lost someone that had been the closest thing she had to a mother figure for the past 13 years (including the Tenroujima time skip), that she didn't feel like her _life_ had fallen apart at the seams since Fairy Tail disbanded.

The grief that Lucy felt since she lost Aquarius was like the time that Layla died, but this time, she didn't even have the maids or anyone to share her sorrows with. Everyone was just… gone.

All but one. The one person to stay behind, to make sure that she was okay, to let her cry on their shoulder and to help her get through losing one of her spirits. That person who stayed for her and didn't go away with their team. That single individual who should have been Natsu but wasn't. This person was the only one that Lucy let see past her mask, see the pain that she held behind the fake smiles, the forced laughter and dulled expressions. They were the only one to get her to smile, however small it was, it was the only times they were real. _He_ was that one person. Not Natsu, not Gray, not Erza, not Wendy and not even Levy. Someone that she had hardly talked to during the years since Lucy had joined Fairy Tail. _He_ was the one who stayed in the shadows, brooding quietly with his team from the second floor. But _he_ was also the one to comfort her in her darkest time, that person who shouldn't have even cared enough to leave his team, to stay with her.

 _He_ was-

"Hey Blondie"

A small, but real smile spread across her face, the rarely seen smile that only appeared around _him_.

"Laxus"

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 **Hi. How was it?**

 **To be honest, personally I don't really like the ending but eh. Gotta make do.**

 **Um, yeah. If you liked it or whatever then try to favourite, follow, review, any of that stuff. I like to hear feedback, makes me happy to read people's comments on my stories, so please do.**

 **Thanks!**


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